


Big Brother: Occupational Hazards

by mamawerewolf



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Big Brother AU, Gameshow AU, Gen, Reality TV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-11-21 20:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11365038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mamawerewolf/pseuds/mamawerewolf
Summary: Sixteen strangers compete in a gameshow, living together for three months isolated from the outside world, in order to win $500,000 grand prize. (Based on Hit TV Show Big Brother)





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> hey! this is the basic show outline. if i get questions that the story doesnt answer about the game format, i'll update this to be clearer.

Big Brother is a popular American game show where a group of strangers live together in a “house” with no interaction with the outside world, competing in challenges and avoiding eviction to win a grand prize of $500,000. The host is a lovely woman named Julie Chen, who narrates the show and is the lens through which we communicate with the Houseguests and the Houseguests interact with the game. The game mechanics will be explained as they are introduced in the story.

The competitors often go into a room known as the “Diary Room” to discuss events that have happened, share their opinions and strategies, or just to have a place to vent or cry. Scenes taking place in the Diary Room will be bracketed, and will sometimes be interspersed throughout other scenes to replicate the effect of the show. Example: [Character: “This is an example. I hate that b****.”] Curse words will also be censored to replicate the feeling of the show.

The portrayal of Julie Chen is an approximation of her personality on the show. All competition themes and season themes were created independently of the show and are not taken from existing material. Some aspects of the show will be altered (ex. The “Haves/Have-Nots” food portion) as the author sees fit to better represent the characters and to reduce potential harm in the readership.


	2. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Houseguests are introduced to the Big Brother House. The first Head of Household competition is held.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! welcome aboard the monstrosity. it's going to be a long one! if you're unfamiliar with the show big brother, make sure to check the preface before you read.

A large studio designed like a giant house sits empty. The cameras move back and forth, capturing no movement. The microphone’s captured little sound. Each colorful room is spotless. Beds are made, chairs are tucked in, doors are shut tight. An air of stillness sits over the Big Brother House that will not return for three months after it’s broken.

It’s broken by four excited game-show contestants, now known as Houseguests, as they enter their temporary home for the first time.

“Oh my God! This is so gorgeous!” A young black woman squeals, rushing in and gasping at the décor.

The décor is extravagant. Gleaming tables and velvet furniture and brightly-colored walls and flat-screens with blue Big Brother screensavers, high open ceilings and a spiral purple staircase leading to the second floor.

“I can’t believe we’re here!” Another woman says, throwing her arms around the black woman. “Hi, I’m Laurel!”

“I’m Iris.” The women beam at each other.

The two men are more reserved. An older gentlemen with silver hair and black-frame glasses peers around, quietly impressed. He smiles at the younger women’s excitement, shaking their hands and introducing himself as “Martin”. The second man, short and equally bespeckled, seems bemused by the whole affair. When prompted, he introduces himself as “Hartley”, quickly plastering on a smile.

The four roam—well, the men roam, the women gallop—to the bedrooms. Each room has a prominent color: there’s the pink room with purple fuzzy pillows and giant mirrors; there’s the sea blue room with salmon seashells painted above each headboard; there’s the pale yellow room with white crisp sheets and fake daisies in clear glass vases with little blue-tinted marbles inside; and there’s the green room with geometric shapes traced on the walls and ceiling with forest green outlines.

“I’m going pink!” Iris declares, rushing back to that room to throw her black Big Brother duffel bag on the bed of her choice. Laurel set hers down in the green room, and the men similarly unloaded their bags in the blue room.

[Iris: “I’m actually really happy about the rooms being so distinct. It’ll make it way easier to talk about which room in the house you’re referring to.”]

The four meet back up by the entrance.

“This is… a dream. Am I dreaming?” Iris asks.

“If you were dreaming,” Hartley drawls, “would you be asking?”

Iris hums. “Point.” Then, she giggles.

[Hartley: “I’m trying not to be a dick, because more often than not, I am one, but seriously. We knew this was gonna happen. I’m happy to be here, just like everyone else, but please. If this is how people are the whole game, this is going to be wretched.”]

A doorbell rings through the House, louder than any normal doorbell would be. Iris and Laurel cheer as the door opens and four more people come through. The two sets of four intermix, hands shaking and people hugging. Names are exchanged. The burly white man with gnarly burn scars up his arms grunts his name: “Mick.” The white brunette with the no-nonsense grip says she’s “Alex”, and the tall black man with the wide, friendly smile is “James”. The black woman has to repeat her name with emphasis—“M’gann. Like ‘Megan’, but less ‘eh’, more ‘ah’.”

The new four are given a “tour” of the bedrooms by Iris and Laurel. Mick throws his bag on the nearest bed and goes to the kitchen to scope out the wares. The other three are choosier of their sleeping locations, but in the end, all end up back in the common area, chatting and grinning and riding the wave of excitement. Hartley has begun to smile organically, feeding off the positive energy.

Soon, three more are introduced to the House, again with a cheer: A beautiful black woman with a golden necklace named Amaya, a charming young black man who insists on being called “Jax”, and a Korean-American woman with bright brown eyes named Linda. Introductions, tours, rinse and repeat. The charm still hadn’t worn off.

“I wonder why the other group only has six?” Iris wonders to Laurel, the woman she’s technically known the longest.

Laurel shrugged. “Maybe there’s only fourteen? I’m not sure.”

[Iris: “Honestly? My gut told me there was something up, but I didn’t want to say anything if I was just getting jumpy about being on a gameshow with about a million “twists”. She puts air quotes around the word ‘twists’.]

And, at last, the door opens to let what they assume is the final three Houseguests into the House: a white woman in gleaming black high heels named Lucy, a Latino man with luscious long dark brown hair and a Star Wars T-shirt named Cisco, and a young black woman with dyed golden bangs named Kendra. These last three are especially enthusiastic, and the mood boosts instantly. They are rushed around the House, this time with more care to the storage facilities and the upstairs area and the kitchen.

After a period of mingling and exploration, Julie Chen’s voice chimes through overhead speakers. “Houseguests, I need you all to gather in the living room.”

A couple of Houseguests cheer, someone ‘woops’. They all move rapidly through the House, taking a seat in the living room. The living room is shaped like a “U”, with two couches facing each other and a third, smaller couch facing the screen. They all take their seats.

The screen lights up. Julie Chen, wearing silver dangling earrings and a matte lipstick, smiles at the Houseguests. “Hello, Houseguests.”

“Hi, Julie!” The Houseguests parrot back.

“Now that you’ve all had a chance to meet, it’s time to explain our very first twist of the summer.” The Houseguests cheer. “As I’m sure you’ve noticed, there are only fourteen of you in the House. However, sixteen Houseguests are competing for the $500,000 grand prize this summer. Houseguests, it’s time for you to meet your final two Housemates.”

The doorbell rings.

After a mad scramble to the door, it opens, revealing two tall men in crisp business suits.

“Hi, Big Brother!” The brunette chirps, beaming.

[Lucy: “Oh. My. God. That’s Ray Palmer and Oliver Queen! They’re here! With us!”]

The sandy blonde smiles, waving. “Hi, everyone!”

The first to rush over and embrace the men is Iris.

[Iris: “Okay. So. Barry, if you’re watching this, I promise I’m not actually gonna do it, but… Oliver Queen is on my cheatlist. I’m so…” She fans herself.]

Everyone follows suit, shaking their hands or hugging them. James says, “Hey, Ray. I actually got to interview you, what, two years ago?”

“Yeah! It was about the new operating system Palmer Tech put out. Small world!”

[James: “I don’t know what’s going on. Why are a couple of billionaires in the Big Brother House? They don’t need the money.”]

The only person unfazed by the presence of two business powerhouses is Mick, who hangs out by the fringes eating a cookie. He shakes their hands when it comes to his turn, but he doesn’t make conversation.

Amaya eyes him from across the room.

[Amaya: “I’m not sure if he doesn’t know, or doesn’t care, but I like that he’s not fawning all over these new guys. I don’t understand why they’re here, but I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s not losing my head over this.”]

She walks over to him and stands nearby, smiling and nodding at the Houseguests that pass. Mick takes note of her, but says nothing.

“So,” Oliver Queen, the sandy blonde, says, clearing his throat. “We should probably get the introductions going. Ray and I have something to tell you guys.”

The sixteen Houseguests return to the couches. Oliver and Ray Palmer, the brunette, stand at the front in front of Julie’s screen.

“So Ray and I were hanging out at a party about six months ago,” Oliver begins, sounding scripted, “and we were talking about reality TV. And Ray says, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to go on something like that?’ And I said, well, it wouldn’t make sense for us to do it. We don’t need $500,000 like most contestants do.”

“Then I said,” Ray picks up, sounding more relaxed, “’Well, we could just give the money away! Do it for the fun of it.’ And Oliver laughed, but then we gave it some thought, and we decided to contact Big Brother and see if we could.”

“The Big Brother executives said they would allow it as long as we played the game properly and didn’t expect special treatment. They want us to be just like any other Houseguest, competing for the same goals: the $500,000.”

“And so here we are! There’s also, like, some cool perks for the winner of our raffle for the prize money, like a tour of our facilities and some cool courses on tech and business, but in effect, we are a stand-in for America. We are America’s players. There’s a one-in-eight chance that no one in the Big Brother House actually gets the prize money.”

The Houseguests are shocked. They make eye-contact with each other, looking around to see how everyone else is taking it.

[Kendra: “WHAT? This makes no sense! Having two dudes in the game with no real reason for playing only to give the money to someone who didn’t put in the work of being in this House for three straight months is bullsh**.”]

[Cisco: “This is both the dumbest and smartest twist of Big Brother. I’ve seen like, four seasons, you know, just putting it on while I work for background noise, and I’ve never seen them put people in the game who don’t have financial reasons for winning. I have no idea how this is gonna shake out.”]

Ray and Oliver let the Houseguests absorb this new information for a minute. Then, Oliver clears his throat.

“In the spirit of, uh, normalcy, I’ll start with the actual introductions. I’m Oliver, I’m 32, and I’m the CFO at Queen Consolidated.”

A smattering of still-confused applause breaks out.

Ray goes next. “I’m Ray, I’m 36, and I’m the CEO and chief engineer at Palmer Tech.”

Again, a small amount of applause.

Then, they go around the room: Laurel, the 31-year-old District Attorney from Seattle; Iris, the 28-year-old reporter from Central City; Cisco, the 28-year-old engineer from Boston; James, the 36-year-old photo-journalist from Metropolis; Amaya, the 25-year-old cop from Detroit; Mick, the 47-year-old firefighter from Keystone; Hartley, the 30-year-old tech company upstart from Providence; Linda, the 26-year-old sports reporter from Coast City; Martin, the 67-year-old physics professor from Central City; M’gann, the 44-year-old bar owner from Phoenix; Jax, the 21-year-old engineering student from Pittsburgh; Alex, the 29-year-old bio-engineer from National City; Lucy, the 33-year-old general counsel from Metropolis; Kendra, the 26-year-old blogger from St. Roch.

[Linda: “I’m listening to everyone introduce themselves, and I realize about halfway through that a lot of us have really similar fields. There were at least three journalists. Three out of six _teen_. That can’t be a coincidence.”]

[Jax: “I mean, I know I’m technically an auto-mechanic, but I’m not letting them overlook me as a good competitor. It might seem kinda risky letting them know I’m smart, but alliances are everything in this game. You don’t get anywhere without your people.”]

The Houseguests wait for the other shoe to drop, but it doesn’t come. Julie’s screen remains off, and they disperse slowly throughout the house. A gaggle of gals head to the kitchen. Linda cheers when she finds a bottle of champagne, popping it open and offering to everyone. Only Laurel refuses politely.

[Laurel: “I haven’t told my Housemates, and I don’t know if I will, but I’m a recovering alcoholic. I’m two years sober this July, and one of the concerns my sponsor had with me joining the House was the temptation of alcohol. I won’t relapse, though. I have my one-year chip in my bag. It reminds me of how hard I fought to get here, and how much I’ve grown. I’m not worried.”]

Three Houseguests make their way upstairs. Kendra, Ray, and James sit in the circle of loveseats and armchairs on the landing near the locked Head of Household room.

“So, what do you think of all this?” Kendra asks Ray gesturing around at the House around them.

Ray shrugs, laying his arm along the back of the couch. “It’s really cool, but I’m not here for the House. I’m here for you guys! And the money,” he amends sheepishly.

James laughs.

[James: “This guy is just like I remember him. I don’t think he has a public or private persona; he’s genuine. I dig that.”]

Kendra asks, “You’re really just here to make friends?”

Ray smiles. “I know, it seems kind of contradictory. But I figure, if I can make friends out in the business world where everyone’s got their own interests in mind, I can do the same here. Just because everyone’s got an agenda doesn’t mean they’re bad people, or that you still can’t be friends.”

[Kendra, with her face in her hands: “This man is ridiculous.” She straightens up and puts her hands in her lap. “I mean, he’s dear, don’t get me wrong, and I enjoy him. But coming into a game like this with no real reason to win and planning on staying around? Making friends? Come on.”]

[Ray: “I know they all think I’m a pushover, but that’s going to help me. I don’t plan on stabbing people in the back, but I don’t plan on being on everyone’s team either. They don’t know that I’m donating the money whether I win or not. Honestly, I might match it and pick two winners just for fun if Oliver or I _do_ end up winning. But it’s not about that, and they don’t know it, so it’s going to help me win some hearts and minds.”]

Downstairs, Jax and Martin are sipping spiked lemonade off to the side.

“I’m not much of a champagne guy,” Jax comments.

Martin waves a hand. “I can take it or leave it, but I’d rather not be in the middle of—all that.”

“All that” being the chattering women buzzing around the kitchen counters, sipping champagne (or in Laurel’s case, a Pepsi).

Jax raises an eyebrow. “You have a problem with girls?”

“No, of course not. I’m just not socializing with people who aren’t scientists, my students, or my family. My daughter is about your age, actually. Being friends with young people is very different from being their professor or colleague.”

“Or their dad,” Jax finishes, shaking his head. “I don’t know what to tell you, man. You’re gonna be spending a lot of time with this crowd, so you might as well break the ice. Get it over with.”

[Jax: “Honestly, I don’t know why this guy is here. He’s in his sixties and doesn’t know how to talk to people who don’t have a PhD or two. But, on the other hand, we’re the ends of the age spectrum. I’m the youngster, he’s the old fella. I’m willing to see if I can try to make something work, but if it doesn’t, no skin off my back.”]

Martin is less sure. “Perhaps later. These first impressions are warped by the adrenaline and newness of the situation. We would be better served to attempt to form bonds after the glamour has worn off, don’t you think?”

 

Julie calls the Houseguests to the living room, only to have them go to change into their matching bathing-suits for the first Head of Household competition.

The Head of Household competition is a fight for holding power for the week. A HoH, as they are often called, sleeps in a special room and gets special perks, but also holds the responsibility of selecting two of their Housemates to put on the “chopping block” for eviction from the House. Competitions often are themed. The initial competition, however, isn’t.

When the Houseguests file out of the House and into the simulated “yard”, they’re met with four platforms connected to a set of hanging yellow rubber coated rings. On the other side of the divide are boxes, desks, and other containers scattered around the space. In the midst of the containers are two gymnastic beams with long black rods lying next to them.

“Houseguests,” Julie greets warmly. “Welcome to your first Head of Household competition. As you can see, there are four platforms. Each platform has four stickers with a name of a Houseguest on it. Find your name and meet your new teammates.”

The confused Houseguests clamber on and off platforms, calling out names they find to speed up the process. By the end, each platform has four Houseguests standing on it, holding stickers in their hands. The stickers are generic, “hello my name is” stickers, like ones one might find at a company party.

“Houseguests, this is the second big twist of the summer. The four people on each platform are now your new teammates. They will compete by your side for Head of Household.

“You may have noticed that there are similar career groups amongst Houseguests. That was intentional, for each of your teammates is a competitor in your job field. You work on similar things, towards similar goals, but if you win, your teammates lose out, whether it be for a promotion, a commission, a branding deal, or, in the case of Big Brother, the title of Head of Household.”

The Houseguests look at each other, some shocked, others neutral.

“The teams are the Law, with Laurel, Mick, Amaya, and Lucy; the Science, with Martin, Jax, Cisco, and Alex; the Business, with Oliver, Hartley, Ray, and M’gann; and the Press, with Iris, James, Linda, and Kendra.”

[M’gann: “I’m confused, because I understand the journalists being together, and the scientists, and whatever, but Hartley and I aren’t in the same fields as Oliver and Ray. I mean, unless you’re considering small businesses being bought out by corporate conglomerates and being forced to shut down working in the same field, but I don’t.”]

[Linda: “As thrilled as I am to be on a team with Iris, I don’t understand why they put Kendra with us. She runs a self-love blog. She’s not a reporter. It’s honestly a little insulting; she doesn’t have to contend with deadlines and a****** editors and fighting for interviews with stuck-up punks.”]

[Iris: “I love that Kendra’s on our team. I started out as a blogger, and I had to fight tooth and nail to get into CCPN. Kendra’s a couple years younger, and her career’s just starting out! Besides, people underestimate how much work running a quality, well-written blog takes. I haven’t read anything she’s wrote, but she seems like a competent woman.”]

“The first Head of Household competition of the season is in two parts: the first is a relay race. Each team sends one person across the hanging rings. That person must search for one of sixteen puzzle pieces with your team’s designation and clip it to your belt, swinging back across the rings, and setting the piece down on the table before the next person can go. The puzzle pieces must be left untouched until all 16 are gathered; any attempts to begin early will disqualify your team from the competition. The first two teams to complete their puzzle and hit the buzzer will progress to the next round.”

The teams mutter amongst themselves, negotiating what order they’ll compete in.

“On your mark, get set, go!”

The first four Houseguests grab the rings and start to swing. Ray, with his incredibly long arms, gets across first. Kendra’s seconds behind him, then Alex, then Lucy. They all rush, opening boxes and drawers with abandon.

[Kendra: “I’ve been ready to start a competition since I stepped foot in this house. I’m a competitive person. Normally, I deny it, play it off, but in reality, I don’t play around. I take this sh** seriously. I am going to win this competition.”]

Kendra is the first to unearth a puzzle piece with her team name. She clips it to her belt and swings back across, skipping rings to speed things up. She unhooks it, slams it on the table, and prompts Iris to go. Other contestants follow suit, and things begin to progress.

Amaya, a petite woman, struggles momentarily with the rings; her arms are short enough that it takes a harder swing to get from ring to ring. She recovers, landing on the turf and sprinting to the nearest box.

[Amaya: “I can feel the short jokes coming. I know. I’m aware. I’ve been short my whole life. What I need these people to know is that this short girl is gonna kick their a**es.”]

Oliver hits the ground with a comedic somersault, leading to cheering from multiple spectators, regardless of team. Laurel in particular seems pleased with his athleticism, although she doesn’t cheer loudly.

Slowly but surely, the majority of the pieces have been recovered. The searches take longer, the tension gets higher. The spectating Houseguests hype their teammate up, calling their name and shouting encouragements. At one point, Oliver stops and gives Kendra an once-over as she leaps off the rings into a running landing.

[Oliver: “I’m trying to focus, trying to stay on track for my team, but then I see her do _that_. I mean, she’s tan, she’s brunette, she’s got a smokin’ body, she’s athletic as hell… She’s gonna be a distraction.”]

It comes down to the final two pieces. The Science need two, the Law needs two, but Business and Press are on their last piece. M’gann and Linda are out looking, fingers fumbling in their haste. M’gann finds her last piece, crying out in triumph, moments before Linda does the same. They’re neck-in-neck, almost in-step with each other, as they race back to the rings. Linda, in her enthusiasm, almost forgets to clip the puzzle-piece to her hip, giving M’gann a fraction of a second head-start.

As soon as the final puzzle piece hits the table, the Press team gets to work flattening the pieces across the board. The pieces are thin and made of wood, a centimeter thick and five-by-five width. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put together a sixteen-piece puzzle, but their nerves trip them up. Kendra has tunnel vision, flipping over pieces and slapping them in at almost frightening speed.

[Hartley: “I look over at the Press team, and I see what could be a woman but could also be a woman _possessed by the Devil_ putting this f***ing puzzle together. Like, I’m not kidding, I saw her eyes flash red.”]

The other teams are also working on their puzzle, but they weren’t quite quick enough. Kendra slams her hand on her button, leaning her face back and breathing heavily, and Ray follows suit, jumping up and down and hugging his teammates.

“Press team, Business team, you both will move on to the final round. Sorry, Law and Science. You just weren’t quite fast enough.”

Kendra high-fives her teammates, panting and fanning herself.

[James: “I’m so glad this woman and I are on the same team, because we basically just played on monkey bars and did a puzzle, and she looked like an angel of death. No joke. She is not someone to mess with, and that might be a problem for me later in the game.”]

The Houseguests walk down and across the sunk-in portion of the floor. The ineligible teams sit on the turf while the two eligible teams line up in front of the balancing beams. Kendra’s hands are clasped behind her back as she bounces on her heels impatiently.

 “Houseguests. This is the second half of the Head of Household competition. Only one person from each team will compete for Head of Household. Their name has been randomly selected by a live-audience member outside the House. However, no matter who on your team wins Head of Household, if someone on your team wins, the rest of the team are safe from eviction that week.”

The Houseguests make various sounds of shock and dismay. The sitting Houseguests whisper amongst themselves.

[Martin: “This competition is excellently crafted to fit the dramatics of a workplace environment. I can’t imagine the team system will last throughout the entirety of the season, so it’s in everyone’s interests to maintain relations with other members outside of your team.”]

“The solo part of the competition is endurance-based. You will take the bar lying next to the beam and step onto the beam, standing in the middle and staying still, using the bar to keep your balance. The person who remains on the beam the longest is the new Head of Household.”

“The Houseguest representing team Business is Hartley.”

Hartley, receiving pats on his back from his teammates, steps forwards, adjusting his glasses.

[Hartley, rubbing his temples: “Of course they pick me for the physical contest. Of-f***ing-course. I mean, I’m not terribly out of shape, but we have three other people, all of whom are clearly more physically fit than me. I hear my name and I’m like, this is gonna be a shit show.”]

“The Houseguest representing team Press is Kendra.

Kendra beams, but instead of her smile being sunny, it comes off as laser sharp.

[Hartley: “And then, of course, it gets worse.”]

The two Houseguests step up to their balance beams, leaning down to pick up the metal rod before climbing onto their beam.

“Houseguests, your time starts…. now.”

And already, Hartley’s face plummets. M’gann calls out, “You can do it, Hartley!” and Ray echoes her sentiment, but they can tell he’s struggling. Meanwhile, behind him, Kendra’s face is blank and her grip is steady.

The Houseguests alternate between cheering the contestants on and talking to each other.

Jax mutters to Cisco, “That woman is a going to be a challenge.”

“Yeah,” Cisco says, dazed, “she’s going to be something.”

Jax hits his shoulder lightly. “I’m serious. She’s athletic and confident enough in her abilities that she doesn’t bother downplaying them. She could pretend like she was struggling, and pull-through despite it, but look.”

Kendra was indeed more statue than woman, the rod in her hands barely shifting, her posture barely wavering. Hartley was having a significantly more difficult time staying on the beam, but they couldn’t help but wonder if they’d fare much better if they were in his position.

“She’s definitely winning this thing,” Laurel whispers to Amaya, who nods solemnly. “We need to work out whether we can work with her or not.”

Mick, sitting slightly behind them, taps Amaya’s shoulder. “She’s gonna be someone who doesn’t fall into the traps,” he mutters.

“What traps?” Amaya asks.

Laurel answers, “The twists and sh** that Big Brother always pulls to shake things up. They often offer people money or power, but there’s always a consequence. Mick is right. She’s too one-track to fall for that. Might be hard to bargain with for alliances.”

[Mick: “I’m not saying that the bird isn’t a strong player, but she’s gonna have a hard time making friends if she’s never willing to compromise. And I know that look.”]

Admirably, considering his opponent, Hartley lasts five minutes and twenty-seven seconds before he tumbles off the beam, landing hard on the turf. The rod clatters as it hits the beam on its way down.

“Congratulations, Kendra! You are the first Head of Household of this summer!”

Kendra finally relaxes, smiling sweetly as she steps down lightly from her balancing beam. Her teammates rally around her, cheering and hugging her, despite the sweat dripping down her body.

[Kendra: “Honestly I could have lasted probably an hour, maybe more, but—“ She smiles, leaning back into the couch and kicking her feet. “Oh, I’m lightheaded. I’m HoH!”]

Hartley allows Ray to pull him to his feet, brushing himself off. His mouth has a sour twist even as his teammates assure him they don’t blame him.

[M’gann: “Yeah, it sucks that we lost, but we’re not any more likely than the other eight people to be put up for nomination. Hartley’s gotta relax. He’s putting too much pressure on himself. I’ve seen it a thousand times.”]

[Oliver: “The kid did his best, but it just goes to show that you do in fact need to be physically fit to play Big Brother. The more you know.”]

 

 

The next morning, Kendra wakes up her teammates and whispers, “Wanna go see my new fancy room?”

The three, still bleary-eyed and in their pajamas, head quietly upstairs. Kendra unlocks the room, and they file in. The room is decorated with similar themes as the rest of the house; the main benefit is that it’s a single room with a single bed. Next to the bed is a basket full of sweets, a Hunchback of Notre Dame Broadway CD, and a letter with “Kendra” written in large, swirling letters.

“Read the note, read the note,” Linda urges, and they all sit on her bed, circled around her.

Kendra neatly opens the sealed envelope, barely tearing the paper, and tugs it out. Her eyes water as she lays eyes on the handwriting. She clears her throat and reads:

“Dear my most beloved Kendra,

I’m so proud of you for winning this leadership competition. I knew you’d win this, and I know you’ll win it all in the end. Things have been rather quiet since you left. I work and I read and I paint you over and over, but nothing ever measures up to the flesh of you. Your curves, your hair, your eyes, your—“

Kendra clears her throat again, ducking her head. “I probably shouldn’t read this part out loud, we’re on television.”

Iris, intrigued, reaches for the letter, but Kendra pats her hand. “After I’m finished,” Kendra says.

“Dut-dut-duh, that’s not appropriate for this show—ah.

“Your parents send their love, as always. Our sweet birds miss you as well, though no one misses you more than I. Simply seeing you on a screen makes my heart melt, but I await your return with my every waking moment. Remember that you're free to explore yourself, as long as you are being satisfied and given the care you deserve.

“Forever yours, in this life and the next, Carter.”

James smiles. “He seems like a great guy. Most dudes don’t write their ladies poetry.”

Iris laughs. “Mine would if he could grasp the basic mechanics. He proposed to me with a song he wrote, that he sung to me. It was… charming. Very Barry.”

Kendra rolls her eyes, smiling. “Yeah, it’s cute once or twice, but Carter writes poetry like most men sext. Badly. Not that I don’t love it,” she quickly amends. “I love Carter and his poetry. He’s just not a connoisseur of the literary arts.”

Linda folds her feet underneath her and outstretches her hand. “I wanna know what your man wrote that was so dirty you couldn’t even let the censorship crew figure it out themselves.”

Kendra hands it over and Iris and Linda pour over it, gasping and covering their mouths. “I warned you guys,” she laughs.

They snack on her snacks rather than descend the stairs and eat a proper breakfast. Talk of Carter leads to talk of Barry which leads to talk of romance—or in this case, showmance.

“I’m so glad I’m out of the running, so to speak,” Iris sighs, laying down and licking Cheeto dust off her fingers. “Showmance drama is what ruins alliances.”

“Not necessarily,” James counters, “when the alliances are built on something stronger than sexual attraction.”

“The fact that all of the ‘showmances’ have to be, like, full-on romances instead of just people enjoying themselves is kind of a turn-off,” Kendra admits, rolling up her bag of chocolate covered pretzels and tossing them back into the basket.

Linda is ambivalent. “If this were a job, and you found someone you wanted to be with, as long as it didn’t interfere with work, you’d be fine with it, right? But you don’t go to work to find love. It just happens sometimes.”

“Mmm, maybe it’ll happen to me with Oliver Queen,” Iris jokes, and they all laugh. “Honestly, though, Barry’s head would explode. So, no showmance for me.”

“I don’t really care either way about Oliver. Ray, on the other hand, is someone who’s too damn cute for his own good. Not that I really like him much; the entire premise of these guys coming into the game for _charity_ is kind of nonsense. They could just give the money anyway, and let real competitors fight for the money.”

Iris grows serious. “Are you thinking about putting them on the block?” she asks, referring to the eviction nominations.

Kendra shrugs. “I think it’s a little early to be talking nominations, but I’m considering it. I’m seeing how people interact for a little bit before I start getting serious about strategy.”

“I vote Ray,” Linda volunteers. “Oliver seems a lot less likely to have a good social game.”

“Mm, but the guy did vanish off the face of the planet after his old man passed,” James argues, “and I don’t mean to pry or be a d***, but I can’t read the guy. At least with Ray you know where he’s at.”

“That might be too much of a good thing. If Ray can’t keep secrets, what good is he to us in the long run?” Kendra sighs, rolling onto her side. “This whole ‘team’ aspect is going to complicate things. I feel it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's all for now! the first day is going to be a bit of a different format, but we're always gonna end on the new HoH so that voting can happen on my twitter! kendra's nominations have already been decided, but next friday after chapter two posts, you will be able to have a say in who the next HoH nominates for eviction!
> 
> check fic progress at www.twitter.com/mamawerewolf


	3. Week One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kendra and Ray get closer, and she attempts to take Oliver out of the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to week one! this week is all about setting up the baseline of the game, setting up the status quo

Kendra, holding a small box with two Big Brother Houseguest keys tucked into slots, walks through the house and pops out to the backyard, calling for everyone to sit around the table for eviction nominations. The Houseguests, like moths to a flame, all gather in the dining room, sitting around the large circular green and white table. Kendra waits until all attention is on her before beginning.

“This is the nomination ceremony,” she starts, sounding formal and scripted. “As Head of Household, it’s my duty to nominate two Houseguests for nomination. When I turn their key, their face will appear on the screen behind me.”

Behind her was a full-length screen with two boxes with question marks inside.

“The first person I nominate for eviction is Oliver.” She turns the key and the smiling picture of Oliver replaces the first question mark. “I really respect you, but I’m not sure what you really have at stake in this competition. A lot of your motivations are question marks for me, and that makes it hard to trust you.”

Oliver nods, face blank.

“My second nominee for eviction is Hartley.” She turns the key; Hartley’s smiling picture appears in the second box. “You’re a great guy, but I’m just not sure that you have what it takes to continue on in this game. I just don’t want to see you crash and burn in the more physical and mental sense rather than be voted out. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.”

She picks up the box and walks off. Her fellow Houseguests get up and mingle, hugging or shaking hands with Oliver and Hartley.

[Hartley: “I have no problem with Kendra and her team, but this feels like BS. I get nominating Oliver; the guy’s a beast. Not to mention he looks like a plank, both in the attractiveness sense and the emotional sincerity. But _me?_ B****, you beat me for HoH! I am a ‘weaker’ competitor, and _that’s_ why you nominated me? A pity nom?” He scoffs, looking mutinous. “I just can’t believe the kind of bullsh** reasoning she put behind this.”]

[Kendra: “I said that I put Hartley up because I was afraid of him crashing and burning, but that’s not really why I did that. I said that because I knew it would get a rise, and Hartley doesn’t take well to being disrespected. He’s gonna sabotage himself trying to get back at me.”]

[Oliver: “I’m not surprised Kendra put me up. I am surprised she didn’t put Ray up, but then, women are always thinking with their c***s. Ray’s a puppy with a big d***, and she just wants to hop on it. Whatever.”]

Oliver shakes Hartley’s hand firmly. Hartley gives him a half-smile, before letting go and bee-lining to the kitchen. He pulls out a glass and pours himself some orange juice. Cisco wanders over, grabbing himself a glass and holding it out. Hartley raises an eyebrow, but complies, pouring him some as well.

“What’s your play?” Cisco asks, drinking slowly. He leans back against the counter and gazes out at the mingling Houseguests.

Hartley shrugs. “Kendra thinks people are gonna vote Oliver out over me? I don’t know. If I were her, I would’ve nominated someone like Ray, who’s basically guaranteed gonna win the veto, and then backdoor Oliver so he has no chance of taking himself off.”

Cisco hums. “I don’t know what her play is, but that would be smart for you… if you were HoH. You’re not. You’re on the block. What’s. Your. Play.”

Hartley stares at him. “Why do you care?”

[Cisco: “It’s Day 5. Hartley has made no major alliance moves. He’s riding the coattails of the whole team set-up. I’m giving him an olive branch, because the other Houseguests are sure as hell not staying in their team boundaries for scheming and planning. Why the hell should we?”]

Cisco shrugs. “It’s the friendly thing to do. I’m a friendly kinda guy.”

“I don’t know. Fight for the veto, play the ‘Oliver’s got twelve muscles in his pinky alone’ card. Hope his stupidity doesn’t make him more attractive as an opponent.”

Cisco snorts.

Hartley looks at him. “What?”

“I’m just glad I’m not the only one who sees through Oliver’s whole rich playboy thing. The guy’s dumber than a box of rocks.”

The two chuckle.

Across the room, Oliver’s chatting up Laurel, who smiles back at him, laughing at his jokes.

“You know, a lot of people here don’t trust you,” Laurel says.

Oliver shrugs. “I know. Going out of my way to try to gain it’s not gonna get me anywhere.”

Laurel nods. “Might as well keep it slow and steady, let ‘em come around to you?”

Oliver clicks his tongue, winking. Laurel laughs.

[Laurel: “He’s cute, okay? I’m not gonna be the showmance girl, but he’s been sweet, but not too sweet, you know? Not throwing himself at me. Which I appreciate.”]

[Oliver: “Laurel’s a great girl. She’s smart, sexy, she’s got a great laugh. I’m keeping my options open, but who knows? It’s Big Brother.”]

Later that night, Kendra and Ray lounge in the big “couch” that’s really more of a divot in a long velvet bed. The room is called the “sex room”, dubbed so immediately by Houseguests after couples and trios gravitated towards it to cuddle.

“I’m really glad you didn’t nominate me,” Ray says softly. “I figured you would have for the same reason you nominated Oliver.”

Kendra shrugs, curling up under his arm. “I mean, I could’ve nominated you, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, I like your energy more than I like Oliver or Hartley’s energy.”

“My energy?” Ray’s nose scrunches up as he laughs. “Wow. I guess that’s one way to put it.”

Kendra lightly smacks his pectoral, hiding a smile in his side. “Shut up.”

Someone knocks on the door. They both call out “come in”, and the door opens to reveal Martin.

“Hey Marts,” Ray says cheerily.

“Hello, Raymond,” Martin greets. “Would you mind if I joined you?”

Both shake their heads, and so he toes off his shoes and sits on the other side, legs over the hump. After three days, he finally broke down and started wearing jeans around the House, but they hadn’t managed to break him of wearing button-ups or convinced him to lounge in sweats. So, he sat in blue-jeans with a white button down, holding an orange cup of steaming pale tea.

“How’s HoH treating you, Kendra?” Martin asks.

“Gloriously. How’s not being on the block treating you, Martin?”

“Oh, splendidly. I think the only downside I’m seeing right now is the lack of books to read.”

Ray cracks his neck. “I miss being able to work,” he says, yawning. “I’m usually working on prototypes and stuff, so not having my hands covered in motor oil sucks. Cisco says the same thing.”

“Really?” Kendra asks.

“Yeah! A lot of us engineers are getting stir crazy not having any projects.”

Kendra chews on her thumbnail. “It’ll probably be easier once we get on a tighter schedule. We’re gonna start having three competitions a week instead of just ten days of basically nothing.”

“That will be a welcome change,” Martin says, leaning back and settling in.

 

The next morning, the Houseguests gather around the round kitchen table. Upon the table is a large purple bucket, a mop, a broom, four pairs of pastel rubber gloves, and various other cleaning products. In front of said supplies is a laminated Big Brother instruction card. Kendra picks it up and begins to read.

“Houseguests, as I am Head of Household, it is my responsibility to choose the four Have-Nots for this week. I will have to nominate someone from all four teams, including my own. They will have to take cold showers, sleep in the Have-Not room, and, in a new Big Brother twist, they will be responsible for making sure the House kept up. The Have-Nots are free to decide how they would like to divvy up the work, but all responsibility for cleaning falls on their shoulders. As Head of Household, I cannot select myself to be a Have-Not.”

[Cisco: “I’ve never been so thankful to see a bunch of cleaning stuff in my life. One of my concerns coming on Big Brother was the Have-Not Slop, which has traditionally been a shake of nasty sh** that Have-Nots have to eat. I was worried that I was gonna get stuck with the slop and that I might have some bad mental health sh** happen, but Big Brother finally made something easier on me.”]

Other Houseguests look relieved. Some of them fiddle with the supplies, commenting on the colors or the brands.

Kendra bites her lip. “So, I don’t want to have to single anyone out. Are there any volunteers?”

Cisco raises his hand first. She nods at him. Amaya, Iris, and Ray all follow close after.

[Amaya: “I’m not sure, because I barely know anything about him, but I’m pretty sure Ray’s never done a chore in his life. Him and Oliver came from big, wealthy families, and I bet they had maids their whole lives. If he doesn’t keep up with what he’s assigned, it better not reflect on me. I’m not holding his hand.”]

“Thank you, guys,” Kendra says, giving them all hugs. “I don’t think you have to do it alone.”

“Yeah,” Lucy pipes up, “it didn’t say you weren’t allowed to get help. We can all pull our weight with stuff like dishes.”

A murmur of agreement ripples through the group.

[James: “I don’t see this working out. We all say we’ll help, but it’s day 6 and already we’re all out of clean laundry because the machines aren’t working yet, the dishes have been done once, and everyone’s stuff is strewn all over the house. I can practically hear my mom crying about the state of this place. I’ll try to do my part, but I don’t see the rest of the House helping.”]

Kendra cleared her throat. “We have to go check out the Have-Not rooms.”

Everyone files through the bedrooms and to the door that had just unlocked. Girls squeal and guys groan when they see the plastic beds with random circles and squares and other lumps disturbing the surface. The walls are bright orange, the color of safety cones, and the air smells faintly of must and mothballs.

“I really hope they just made, like, a weird smelling air-freshener,” Iris murmurs to Cisco, who nods emphatically.

[Iris: “I mean, it’s not spike beds, so it could be worse. It still looks uncomfortable as all hell though.”]

Ray lays down on one of them, his feet hanging off the edge. Linda rubs his shins sympathetically, patting him. Everyone chatters and tries laying down on one of the four beds. Eventually, the crowd thins as people lose interest and the newly-declared Have-Nots pop out to grab their bags and unload the blankets and pillows from drawers in the base of the bedframe. They are hideous highlighter colors, and Hartley nabs Cisco’s blanket to wrap around himself like a cape, only to find it’s entirely made out of filmy polyester.

“Good luck getting comfortable in that, Cisco,” Hartley says, handing the blanket back and rubbing the feeling off the pads of his fingers.

[Hartley: “I’ve been homeless, I’ve couch-surfed, I’ve slept in some sh***y *** situations, so if it came down to it, I could survive the Have-Not room. However, if people think I’m all rich and spoiled like Oliver and Ray, they might underestimate me. We’ll see.”]

 

That night, Kendra, James, Iris, and Linda end up in her HoH room talking game. Kendra is laying on Iris’ legs, which are tucked to the right. James is curled in a chair and Linda is lying on her side, chewing her sweatshirt string.

“I’m not a backdoor person,” Kendra says, “so I couldn’t not just put Oliver up from the get go.”

“Laurel really likes him,” Linda comments, “so if one of us wins PoV, that’s a vote for Hartley.”

Iris strokes Kendra’s hair thoughtfully. “Yeah, once we don’t have teams anymore I could see them in an alliance. I mean, I don’t blame her. He’s cute, and he’s into her, and he’s a strong competitor.”

Kendra says, “I really… something about Oliver gives me bad vibes, guys. I just don’t trust him.”

James says, “Do you think Ray will vote to keep Oliver? I mean, they’re basically on the same team too.”

“I can flip him. I’m not worried about Ray. Cisco’s more of a concern.”

“He has been connecting with Hartley more,” Linda counters. “They hang out sometimes, but I don’t think they’ve talked much game. I don’t think Cisco or Hartley’s really talked game with anyone, but I think Cisco would vote to keep Hartley.”

“Me, Linda, Iris, Cisco, Ray—that’s five,” James says. “We need at least seven, but preferably an eighth vote just in case someone flips last second.”

“Why are we worrying so much about votes now?” Iris asks. “We still have to win the veto before we even know that nominations are locked in.”

“I just want to be sure that we have this now,” Kendra says, “because if we don’t, Oliver competes in the next HoH and if he wins, there’s a really good chance he’s putting me up. I want to make sure our votes are locked in as soon as possible.”

[Linda: “I love Kendra. I do. We’re teammates and friends, but I don’t think she really understands just how fast this game changes. We could have these votes locked in for days, but all that it takes is one second of doubt and someone can change their vote. It’s like _that_.” She snaps her fingers at the camera for emphasis. “Kendra, girl, we gotta strategize for the veto. Voting talk can wait until after.”]

James says, “If Oliver or Hartley wins the veto, who are you thinking of putting up?”

Kendra gnaws on her lip. “I’ve thrown around a couple of people. Lucy, Alex, and Jax are the main people I’m thinking about.”

“I’m good with all those options,” Linda says, and Iris nods her head.

“I really like Lucy and Alex, but if I had to choose one of them, I’d keep Alex,” James says.

“Why?”

“Well, I, uh, I have a little bit of a thing for Lucy,” James admits, “and I know Alex has a lady back home, so she’s a lot less likely to get involved in showmance drama. She’s a strong competitor, who we could probably swing to our side, and I don’t think she cares for Oliver.”

[James: “I know it might seem counter-intuitive to want someone to go home because you like them, but the way I see it is this is Big Brother. People end up lying and back-stabbing and all sorts of mayhem, and I wouldn’t want a relationship built on something like that. Besides, I have really good feelings about Alex. I’ve talked to her a bit, and she seems trustworthy.”]

Downstairs, Mick is wiping down counters while Cisco does dishes. Cisco hums, laughing when “Please stop singing” comes over the loudspeakers.

“Sorry!” He says, rinsing off the last of the plates and setting aside. “Damn that rule.”

Mick bumps into him. “Sorry,” he grunts, reaching to wipe just past Cisco.

“No problem, man. Thanks for pitching in.”

Amaya walks over. “He’s not a bad guy after all, despite what he wants you to think,” she says, smiling brightly at Mick.

Mick ducks his head, pursing his lips. “S’nothing.”

“Mick was just telling me before he came out here that he’s got a family back home.”

Mick shrugs. “I do.”

Cisco leans back against the counter, jerking away when his shirt gets wet. “Well? What’re they like?”

Mick tosses the rag down on the counter and leans down on crossed arms. “Got my husband, Lenny, and his baby sister Lisa. Not much else to say.”

“A husband?” Cisco says, coming over to sit in the stool across from Mick. “You don’t wear a wedding ring.”

“I always lose ‘em. I fiddle with ‘em too much.”

Amaya sits next to Cisco. “What do Lenny and Lisa think of you being on the show?”

“It was Lisa’s idea. She’d want to do it, but she teaches ice-skating and roller derby to kids and didn’t want to leave ‘em. Other people can fight fires, though.” Clearly uncomfortable being the subject of conversation, Mick deflects, “What about you two? Got family back home?”

Amaya says, “My niece,” as Cisco says, “Not really. Just a couple friends. And my pets, of course.”

“We talking family?” Alex asks as she walks in with Jax in tow. “I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about things that made us homesick.”

“That’s bullsh**,” Jax says, reaching in the fridge and pulling out a bell pepper. “I get more homesick not talking than I do talking.”

“Well, then,” Cisco says, “talk.”

And they all go around, sharing stories about their families. Jax only had his mom, while Alex had her adopted sister and her mom and girlfriend.

“Big Brother, if you air this, I’ll be very upset,” Alex adds, pointing at the nearest camera pointed towards her. “I plan to make Maggie ‘Maggie Danvers’ sooner rather than later.”

The others cheer. Jax turns and gives her a hug, while Amaya and Cisco smack the table in excitement. Mick gives her a congratulatory nod, which for him is like bursting into song.

“I know, I know,” Alex says, beaming. “It’s very exciting. Maggie has no idea I’m planning on doing it. I’m kind of a romantic. I want to do it right, with dinner and flowers and champagne and a little cute dessert sharing.”

Jax asks, “Are you planning on leaving in it the champagne or something?”

“God no. I’m getting down on one knee, pulling out the box, the old-fashioned way.”

Martin arrives. “I heard discussion of wedding proposals,” he says.

Jax groans. “Now you’ve done it.”

“Done what?” Asks Alex, unaware that she has just been trapped in an hour long discussion about weddings and marriage with everyone’s adopted Jewish father.

 

Two days later, the House has speculated to no avail what the veto competition would be. The day prior, they’d been locked into the House, unable to access the yard so it could be transformed into the next competition field. Most Houseguests are excited to see what’s in store.

“It’s time to pick participants for the Veto competition!” Kendra calls, walking to major areas of the House to gather everyone. They meet, as always, in the living room. Oliver and Hartley sit in the chairs directly facing the TV, while everyone else finds a seat somewhere along the sides.

Kendra has another laminated paper with instructions. “This is ceremony to pick who will be competing in the Power of Veto competition. I, as Head of Household, and the two nominees will compete. Will the two nominees come stand next to me.” She pauses as the two men come to flank her. “The three of us will pull names out of this box.” She gestures to the box on the podium in front of her. “After the last three participants are chosen, I will select one last name to host the Power of Veto competition.”

“I’ll go first.” She reaches into the box and pulls out a green token. She smiles when she reads the name. “James, will you please come stand next to me.”

The House claps for James as he stands and goes to stand with the other competitors.

Oliver picks next. “Mick.”

Hartley picks last. “Jax.”

The six competitors smile or nod at each other. Kendra reaches in one final time. “The host for the veto competition is Iris!”

Iris beams, hugging Linda, who sat next to her.

[Iris: “I’m kinda bummed I’m not competing, but hosting sounds like a blast! Especially because there’s always cool costumes and stuff in the veto comp. So, all in all, I’m okay with how it played out.”]

After Kendra wraps things up, Cisco, Jax, Hartley, and M’gann all end up in the green room, sitting on beds and talking.

“I’m thinking we have okay odds, Hart,” Cisco says, rubbing his shoulder. “If we can pull Amaya, we could get Mick to pull you off the block.”

“Yeah,” Hartley says, “but we don’t know who Kendra would put up as a replacement nominee. Do you think it’s any of the rest of us?”

Jax and Cisco shake their heads.

Jax mouths, ‘She’s going after Oliver, so whoever she puts up is just going to be a pawn.’

‘Why Oliver?’ Hartley mouths back.

‘I dunno. She doesn’t like him though. I saw her looking at Laurel and Oliver and she didn’t look happy.’

M’gann sighs, looking towards the door. “I don’t like him either. Honestly, it would be worth talking to Kendra about some kind of deal to finish out this week if one of us gets the veto.”

“Her options are kind of limited, though. She can’t put up anyone in her group, so that’s three less people. She can’t put up Hartley again, and she can’t put up Mick or you, Jax, if either of you win PoV. That leaves Alex, Laurel, Amaya, you—M’gann, me, Lucy, Ray, and Martin,” Cisco says, holding up eight fingers.

“She won’t put up Ray, unless as a pawn,” M’gann says. “She like Ray, I’ve seen them together.”

“I don’t think she’ll put up Lucy either,” Jax says. “I’m pretty sure James has a thing for her. They were flirting at breakfast this morning.”

Cisco presses his thumb against his bottom lip, sighing. “I mean, there’s a lot of wiggle room. Most of the alliances are pretty small so far, which is good. That means you have less of a chance of gaining advantage and sniping out your opposition.”

Laurel comes in holding a bottle of lotion and a hairbrush. “What’s up guys?”

“Just talking about the veto,” M’gann says. “Talking about Kendra.”

Laurel frowns. “You think she’s gonna come after us if Oliver or Hartley gets taken off?” She nods at Hartley.

“The problem is we don’t have a defined set of ‘us’,” Cisco explains. “We have the groups of four, and then we have friends that aren’t really alliances. We don’t have a definitive group of people all on the same page.”

“There’s six to eight people she could put up, and a lot of it depends on how deep relationships are,” Jax adds.

“It’s, like, day 8. Are anyone’s roots in that deep yet?” Laurel asks.

Hartley lays back, covering his eyes. “That’s just it. No one knows anything about anyone’s alliances beyond the teams. No one’s made any bold alliance-making decisions, as far as we know. It’s just kind of... fluid right now."

 

The Houseguests enter the backyard, exclaiming at the decorations. There’s horse cut-outs and large, golden castle cut-outs and two large platforms with green, grass textured mats underneath. The six veto contestants are in silver “armor”, which are really body-suits and Styrofoam padding on their arms, head, and torso. Iris stands farther into the yard next to a large cut-out of a dragon and a “treasure trove” with fake gold coins and the box with the veto necklace. She’s wearing a beautiful fluffy purple dress with a large fur cape and a silver tiara.

“Hello Houseguests!” She calls, waving like a Miss America contestant. They laugh. “Welcome to the first Power of Veto competition. The Power of Veto has the power to pull one of the contestants off the chopping block. The person who receives the Power of Veto, if they are not the person being pulled, cannot be selected as the replacement.

“For this competition, you will compete in a jousting tournament. You will stand on one of the platforms and attempt to knock the other person off their platform. If you stay on your platform, you progress automatically to the next round of the tournament. The losing three players will all compete against each other. If one contestant from the losing bracket wins against their opponents, they will be re-entered into the tournament. In the event of a three-way tie, the three contestants will have to stand on one platform as it raises up and down, and tips this way and that. Everyone with me so far?”

The contestants all shout confirmations.

“Then, the four contestants will face off once more, but with the augmented platform abilities. Each round will be fast, as the augmentations—the up and down and side to side movements of the platforms—increase over time. The last two competitors will not be jousting. Instead, they will have to remain standing on their platform until the other person falls. The person left standing will win the Power of Veto.

“Oliver, Hartley, as the nominees, you’ll go first.”

The Houseguests not-competing sat on a bench off to the side. They cheered as the men picked up their “jousts”, which were long poles with thick Styrofoam padding on each end.

[Hartley: “I was so worried I wasn’t going to have to worry about being evicted because Oliver would accidently kill me. Straight up. I mean, look at the guy! He’s covered in scars and tattoos and he’s _built_. I’m like a weed compared to a f***ing hundred year old tree.”]

“On my count. Three, two, one, joust!”

Hartley immediately dodges Oliver’s initial swipe, almost tumbling off the edge in the process. He makes a counter swipe at Oliver’s legs, but Oliver evades. After a couple more swings, Hartley’s caught in the chest by the left side of the pole and knocked off the platform, landing hard on the mats.

A buzzer sounds.

“Sorry, Hartley. Oliver wins this round!”

Oliver hops off his platform, dropping his “joust” and walking off. Hartley stands, brushing himself off.

The two other pairs are Kendra and Jax, and Mick and James. Jax gets lucky and knocks Kendra off, and Mick almost demolishes James by accident. In the losers’ bracket, Kendra wipes the floor with Hartley and easily trips up James.

The four who continue are paired Oliver and Jax, and Kendra and Mick.

The augmentations pick up the speed of the game immediately. A mistimed swipe with a leaning platform sends Jax tumbling down, and Mick manages to jump to evade a jab from Kendra, barely staying standing when she tries to twist out his legs. Kendra falls when she leans forwards as the platform bucks like a bull, narrowly avoiding smashing her face into the mat

In the end, it’s Oliver against Mick.

[Oliver: “I managed to go up against the guy who was probably my equal when it came to muscle mass in the only round that didn’t involve fighting. Figures.”]

“Remember, the last man _standing_ on his platform wins. That means no sitting, laying down, or gripping the platform with your hands. On your mark, get set—“

The platforms kick things off before Iris manages to. The movements are gentler than before, slow, gradual movements. Both men are tense, wary, looking at a fixed point away from each other. When the platforms lose sync with each other, things start to get hairy. The tilting begins at smaller angles, but soon, it becomes untenable to stay standing. Mick has the bad luck of being the first to tip more than ten degrees, and he lands hard on his back with his arms splayed. Oliver falls moments later, just before the platforms return to normal.

“Oliver, congratulations! You won the Power of Veto!”

Laurel leaps up, cheering, and is the first to hug Oliver.

[Laurel: “I know this puts me in danger, but I’m still excited for him. We’re friends, and I didn’t want to see him go home just yet.”]

Kendra lurks towards the back with James and Linda while Iris loops the Power of Veto necklace around Oliver’s neck. When it comes time, she gives him a hug, congratulating him, but she’s clearly not pleased.

Hartley shakes his hand, but is equally concerned with the game’s outcome.

[Oliver, showing off the veto necklace: “I can see that they aren’t happy, which tells me I was gonna go home if I didn’t win. Too bad, so sad, Kendra. Gonna have to find someone else to send home, ‘cause I’m not going anywhere.”]

After everyone had changed and gone back inside, Kendra and her group, as well as Alex and Laurel, are inside the HoH room.

“I know you like Oliver,” James says to Laurel, “but we were really counting on him going home this week. He’s a strong competitor, he’s a tough guy, and now we have to figure out a plan B.”

Laurel nods.

[Laurel: “I’m really glad Kendra’s not excluding me because I’m friends with Oliver. I was afraid that this was gonna be one of those ‘clique’ situations, where you have your little group and you don’t associate with anyone else. It’s really heartening for her to include not only the friend of someone she tried to send home, but two people from other teams.”]

Kendra, sitting perched on the edge of her bed, addresses Alex. “I just want you to know that we really like you, and we respect you, and we’re not planning on putting you up as a replacement. Either of you,” she clarifies, smiling at Laurel. “However, we need to pick someone who we think of as a strong competitor to go home. Hartley’s not that good of a competitor, and he’s not as big of a threat as some of the other people.”

“Who were you thinking of putting up?” Alex asks.

“Lucy or Jax.”

[Alex: “I have no real relationship with Jax, and I’ve only spoken about work with Lucy. But Jax is on my team, and I really don’t want him to be put up.”]

[Laurel: “I’m torn. On one hand, I love being included and I love being in the know and I don’t have relationships with either of the potential nominees. _Except_ that one of them is on my team. And, like, I don’t want to propose putting another Science member with Alex _right there_ , and I’m definitely not asking Kendra to put up Ray or M’gann. So I’m kinda stuck.”]

Alex asks, “What are your thoughts on M’gann?”

The majority of the room shake their heads. Kendra says, “No. She’s a competitor, I’ll grant you, but she’s a stabilizing force. She’s caring and compassionate and she wants to help people, even people she’s directly opposed to in this game. I can’t justify putting her up when she’s helping so many people survive being in the House.”

Alex nods. “That’s fair. I get that.”

Linda says, “Laurel, I know that you’re nervous because Lucy’s team Law, but there’s five votes just here to keep Lucy. Right?” Everyone nods or mutters assent. “So we get Amaya, who gets Mick—both fellow Law members—to vote to keep Lucy, and boom. Seven votes.”

“If it came to it, I could pull Ray,” Kendra mentions. “And we could potentially flip Jax or Martin if we span it right.”

“Teams complicate things,” Iris sighs. “Normally, interpersonal alliances are the only thing you really have to look out for in this game. Now it’s all over the place.”

In the Have-Not room a while later, Cisco, Amaya, Ray, and Hartley sit on the flat edges of their plastic beds.

“It’s gonna be tough,” Amaya admits. “I do not trust Oliver. I’m so mad he won the veto.”

“How do you think I feel?” Hartley asks drily, laying on his back and letting Cisco play with his hair.

“Oliver has Laurel. He has you,” Cisco says to Ray, who shrugs. “I think he has James, to a degree. I’ve seen them work-out together.”

“Why are we talking about Oliver?” Hartley asks. “He’s going to pull himself off. We need to strategize for whoever’s going up in his place.”

“Ray, has Kendra talked noms with you at all?” Amaya asks.

Ray shakes his head. “She’s been pretty tight-lipped about the planning process so far. Maybe that’ll change after the veto ceremony.”

“Dude, I guarantee you she’s going to try to swing you. She’s not going to want to piss off anyone else by voting someone out from Law or Science. There’s definitely a reason both her noms were from one team.” Cisco sighs. “We have to flip whoever she’s going to make deals with. We can’t let her send Hartley home.”

“What if she puts up another Science member?” Ray asks. “Like, Jax, or Martin.”

“I’d vote out Martin. Jax, I might consider keeping. Ow!” Cisco bats at Hartley’s pinching fingers. “I was kidding.”

“Sure you were.”

“I was. Seriously, though, my gut tells me she’s gunning for someone she can get votes to protect. Someone from Business or Law. I feel it.”

 

The veto ceremony has everyone on edge. Everyone’s alliance-less state has every member of the House suddenly aware that no one is protected if your team doesn’t hold the HoH. Oliver shows no emotion, but the glint of the light against the gold ‘no’-sign hanging around his neck relieves him of the stress plaguing the rest of the House.

Everyone’s seated in the living room. Oliver stands in the front of the room, placing the veto box on the table.

“This is the veto ceremony. As I hold the Power of Veto, I choose to take myself off the chopping block. Kendra, as I have removed one of your nominations, you must now choose a new nominee.”

Kendra stands and walks over to Oliver, who squats rather than sit on a couch. “My replacement nominee is Lucy. Lucy, please sit in the nomination chairs.”

Lucy stands, nodding slightly, sitting without fuss.

“I chose you because you’re an intelligent woman who’s a strong competitor and we haven’t really connected, so I would be competing against you.”

Lucy nods again.

Kendra stands off to the side as Oliver stands back up. “This veto ceremony is adjourned.” He closes the box.

Everyone stands, hugging or shaking hands or simply walking off. No one is particularly upset or surprised.

All in all a rather uneventful veto ceremony.

Cisco and Amaya sit in the sex room sipping green tea out of lidded plastic jar-shaped clear mugs with long striped straws. “I told you guys,” Cisco says. “I told you that Kendra would put up someone from Law. She knows that Hartley’s close with the science crew, but not close to anyone else. Four votes is sh**.”

“How do you know it’s only four?” Amaya asks.

Cisco looks at her. “You’re not planning on voting out Hart to protect your team?”

“How do you know Business isn’t rallying around Hartley to keep him in the game?” She counters.

“Well, Ray’s in Kendra’s back pocket, and Oliver’s trying to get into Laurel’s pants, so they’re gonna lean towards keeping Lucy in because they’re thinking with their junk and not their heads. Whose pants are you trying to get into?”

Amaya rolls her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t do showmances. And even if I did, I’m not gonna let that sort of drama interfere with my game. I’m smarter than that.”

“Then why are you voting to keep Hartley?”

“Lucy’s a strong competitor who has an in with the Press team. Clearly, she expected to be put up. I’m not good with expressions, and I know you aren’t either, but you could see she knew, right?”

Cisco shrugged. “I assumed she knew. I guessed it beforehand, so I took whatever face she was making to mean that she knew.”

“Well, I’m not keeping Lucy. I’m gonna tell Mick to be evasive about who he’s voting for if anyone asks, and I’m going to do the same. We’ll only be blunt if we have to.”

[Amaya: “Mick and I are strong competitors. Laurel is a strong competitor. We don’t really need Lucy for us to win HoH’s, and getting into Science’s good graces and winning a confidence vote from Hartley will help us get rid of Oliver. Something about that man sets off alarm bells. I know Laurel and some others don’t see it, but I do. M’gann does. Kendra does. If I have to undo Kendra’s work to make this happen, I undo first and apologize later. No matter what game she and I have talked about.”]

 

Eviction day passes like quicksand. Soon, everyone’s gathered once more in the living room, this time to talk to Julie and evict a Houseguest.

The group cheers when Julie comes on screen. She greets them, they greet her. She lines out the rules: one by one, they will be called into the Diary Room to cast their vote to evict. A houseguest needs seven votes to be evicted. Kendra, as HoH, is not eligible to vote, and as they have an odd number of voters, she will not be needed as a tie-breaker. The nominees are not eligible to vote either.

 They start with Iris and make their way through the Houseguests. Most Houseguests do dances or high-five or interact in another silly way as they pass each other in the little hallway between the House proper and the Diary room. Each person is greeted by Julie. She asks them to cast their vote, they cast it, and then she asks them to return to the living room.

[Iris: “Sadly, I vote to evict Hartley.”

Mick: “Lucy.”

James: “Unfortunately, Julie, I have to vote to evict Hartley.”

Cisco: “I hate to, but I vote to evict Lucy.”

Oliver: “I vote to evict Lucy.”

Ray: “I vote to evict Hartley.”

Laurel: “I vote to evict Hartley.”

Amaya: “I vote to evict Lucy.”

Martin: “Sadly, I must vote to evict Ms. Lane.”

Jax: “Sorry, Luce, but I vote to evict you.”

Linda: “I have to vote to evict Hartley.”

Alex: “I vote to evict Hartley.”

M’gann: “Sorry, but I have to vote to evict Lucy.”

Final votes: 6—Hartley, 7—Lucy.]

Julie reads the vote off to the eagerly waiting Houseguests. Lucy and Hartley hold hands on their shared armrest. “By a vote of seven to six, Lucy, you are evicted from the Big Brother House.”

Lucy’s mouth drops open. Hartley sighs, squeezing her hand before pulling her up into a hug. Kendra, Linda, Iris, and James look visibly shocked. Others look visibly relieved. Lucy gives the longest hug to James, who apologizes into her ear, trying not to choke up. She nods when she pulls away, smiling. She grabs her black Big Brother duffle bag and walks out the two sets of doors to the cheering audience.

After the doors close, Kendra corners Alex. “Did you flip?” She demands, incensed.

“No, no, I swear to God I didn’t flip. I made you a promise, Kendra. I kept my word.” Alex covers her face in her hands. “This is a disaster.”

“You’re telling me. I promised Law that their gal would be safe on the block. Now, Laurel’s coming after me, and she’s probably going to come after you too. Watch your back.”

[Kendra: “I have no idea who flipped. My first instinct was Alex, but I can’t jump down her throat too much. I don’t have any solid leads on which of my people flipped.”]

Kendra, whispering with Iris in a corner, says, “It was supposed to be nine to four. We had three people flip. F*** me.”

“Who the hell screwed us?” Iris whispers back.

“Definitely not Laurel.” Across the room, Laurel fights tears in Oliver’s chest. “I don’t think it was Oliver either.”

“And you’re sure no one from our team flipped?”

“James, maybe. You and Linda I’m confident stuck to the plan. Alex, James, Amaya, Ray, and Mick are all people who could’ve flipped.” Kendra shakes her head, steaming. “I’m so pissed. We have to clear James first. He’s on our team, and we can’t not trust our team.”

“Amen.”

Hartley hugs Cisco, trying not to cry in his shoulder.

[Hartley: “I mean, I knew we had a chance, but that vote was so close. I don’t even know who it really was that saved me. I know we had Amaya and Mick, but whoever flipped f***ing saved me. They saved me. I’m trying—I’m trying not to cry. I haven’t cried yet in this game. I just can’t believe I’m not going home.”]

“T’s okay,” Cisco soothes, whispering into Hartley’s hair as he rubs his back. “T’s okay.”

[Oliver: “I didn’t see the point in trying to send home a weak player like Hartley so soon in the game, even if he is the weakest link on my team. Lucy is a strong competitor on a team of strong competitors. Laurel won’t ever have to know, but if she does find out, she’s gonna be pissed, so I have to watch out for that.”]

Barely an hour later, the Houseguests suit up and head into the backyard for the second Head of Household competition. The yard mostly clear of set pieces or themed ornamentation. Instead, there is a large glass cube, approximately ten feet by ten feet. Kendra is already outside waiting, wearing normal clothes.

[Jax: “So we walk outside, expecting the yard to be all trussed up, and instead we find a big glass box. And I’m like, what the hell, Big Brother. Are we having an off day?”]

“Hi, Houseguests!” Kendra calls, waving them over. “As you can see, we’re going a little old-school today. Anyone who watched season 6 of Big Brother should recognize this beauty.” She gestures to the box. “Today’s competition is a test of endurance. Once you step inside the box, you’ll find a button with your name on it. The goal of the competition is to hold down your button for as long as possible. You are not allowed to sit or kneel; squatting is permitted. If you let go of your button or are otherwise disqualified from the game, the green light above your head will turn red.

“Once you are disqualified, you will open one of the boxes in the middle of the cube. Inside, there could either be treats, or there could be tricks, meant to change up the game. You may only leave the box three at a time, meaning that if one person gets out, they must wait for two more Houseguests to be eliminated before they can leave the box. The last person with their hand on their button will be the new Head of Household.

“Does everyone understand the rules?”

Everyone parrots “yes!”

“Alright. Please enter the box. The Head of Household competition will begin when everyone’s hands are on their button.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and theres week one! the HoH will be played out next chapter... ill give u a hint: someone from Business wins!
> 
> follow me on twitter @mamawerewolf for fic updates and link here for the poll of who will be nominated for next weeks eviction: https://twitter.com/mamawerewolf/status/883793090242158592


	4. Interlude: Week Two HoH

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interlude: The Houseguests compete in the second Head of Household competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! ch 3 should be up sometime in the next three days, but in the mean time, i figured this comp was too long to include in a chapter proper, and so i made it a baby-ch! 
> 
> warnings for an implied alcoholic character, who will later be confirmed as alcoholic, ingesting alcohol. if u want a ch without the scene in it, with the scene summarized, message me on twitter @mamawerewolf and ill send u a link to the version without it

With fourteen Houseguests competing, there are three walls with three people standing, and one with two. Everyone is leaning against the glass or the railing. Speech has been sparse for almost fifteen minutes. The boxes--twelve of them, all in a circle--remain unopened.

Cisco jiggles his leg. Martin has his eyes closed, muttering equations under his breath. M’gann almost seems like she’s asleep, she’s so still.

“This is gonna be a long *** competition,” Linda mutters, squaring her feet to stand lower.

Minutes drag into an hour. No one has budged. Conversation is minimal, everyone focusing pressing down a button the size of a dime.

A loud harsh noise blares, playing from what seems to be the middle of the boxes.

Iris yelps, her hand slipping off her button. The green light above her flashes red and a loud buzzer goes off.

“Iris, sweetie, you took your hand off the button, so you have been eliminated from the Head of Household competition,” Kendra says dutifully. “Please pick one of the boxes to open.”

[Iris:  “I didn’t want to be the one to break first. I’m pissed at myself for being so easy to startle.”]

Iris kneels down next to one of two purple boxes. She pops it open. Inside is an envelope. The lid is labeled, “’Cash’ prize”.

“Oh my god,” Iris gasps, picking up the envelope and screaming when she sees $10,000 written on the flap. She pulls it out and sure enough, there’s a check with no name with $10,000 promised on it. “Oh my god!”

“Congrats, baby,” Linda cheers, bouncing on her heels slightly but making sure her hand doesn’t move.

[Iris: “Ten thousand dollars! I’m so f***ing happy. I’m thrilled. It’s not gonna stop me going for that $500,000, but it’s still nice to know I’m leaving this House with some green.”]

“I don’t know why it says cash if it’s a check, though,” Iris says.

“It’s in quotation marks,” Cisco says, “See?” He points and Iris nods.

“True.”

Iris sits on the floor, using her envelope to fan herself.

The second hour passes. The sun glares down through the glass, the heat sweltering, and with no breeze to cool things down, several Houseguests are showing the pressure from the heat. Oliver’s shirt is soaked and stuck to his back, but he doesn’t seem to notice. In fact, he has barely moved at all in two hours.

“You doing okay, Ollie?” Laurel asks, moving her hair from being stuck to her neck to over her shoulder.

No response.

“Ollie?”

The Houseguests look at each other, worried.

Kendra walks over to look at Oliver though the glass. “Oliver, please respond. Are you alright?”

He jerks, hand almost slipping, but he recovers. His eyes focus. Everyone breathes in relief. “I’m fine,” he grunts, unusually gruff.

“Alright, just try to check in every now and again so we know there’s no health concerns, alright?”

No response.

[Jax: “I don’t know if he was meditating or whatever, but the guy was really starting to freak me out. At first we thought it was just, like, the heat messing with him? But this guy would just settle in and be still as a f***ing statue.”]

The group decides to cut the quiet game.

“I’m bored,” Cisco says abruptly. “This isn’t working.”

“Yeah, standing and doing nothing isn’t doing it for me either,” Hartley charms in, running a hand over Cisco’s arm. “As much as I love standing here and sweating with all of you, we should probably do something to get our mind off things.”

The standing Houseguests throw out a couple ideas before Iris enthusiastically chimes in, “Let’s do ‘Never Have I Ever’! It works ‘cause y’all have a free-hand.” She wiggles her fingers at them cheekily.

So, the Houseguests find ways to pass the time, and it’s almost another full hour before Martin caves, almost crying from pain in his legs.

“It’s okay, Martin,” Amaya soothes. “You did well.”

 His Housemates repeat her sentiment. Martin picks a box—inside is a small “Have-Not” token and a note that reads, “Two Week Have-Not Duty”.

[Martin: “I’m disappointed. I thought this competition was going to be one I had a chance in. I know I’m not physical like some of these younger people, but I thought I could handle pressing a button.” He sniffs, wiping away tears.]

Martin sits on top of an unopened box next to where Iris is laid out on the floor.

 

The space between contestants dropping out rapidly closes; between the heat, pent-up bodily functions, and the ever-growing stench of their sweaty Housemates, people are losing patience.

The third contestant to drop is Cisco, who can’t bear to be still and standing a second longer. He opens a box and unleashes the stench of month-old dirty laundry on the remaining competitors. As he drops, Martin and Iris are at long last able to leave the stagnant cube and breathe fresh air.

The prizes and punishments are doled out as the crowd thins.

Alex’s hand sprains and she hisses in pain, accidentally releasing pressure from the button and groaning when the resulting elimination buzzer sounds.

“Dammit!” She slams her other hand on the railing. “Dammit.”

“I’m sorry, Alex,” Kendra recites dutifully, “You removed your hand from the buzzer and are thus eliminated from the Head of Household. Please choose and open a box.”

Alex, gnawing on her lip, selects an orange box and pops it open. Inside is a sign that says “Wine” and a bottle of red wine and two crystal wine glasses and a corkscrew tucked into burgundy velvet. Alex cheers, clapping her hands before plucking the bottle out of the box.

[Alex: “I’ll admit, I like wine a little bit. Just a bit.”]

She pops the cork and tosses the corkscrew back into the box. Forgoing the glasses, she presses her lips against the lip and takes a heady swig.

[Laurel: “I see Alex go straight to drinking from the bottle, and my heart sinks. I know that feeling. I can’t say I’m one hundred percent in tune with Alex as a person yet, but I’m getting vibes and signs and red flags and alarm bells. I’m concerned for her.”]

Alex consumes the wine rapidly. She becomes giggly and touchy, playing with Linda’s hair and laughing into James’ shoulder. Her voice grows in volume and she almost trips over the boxes three times before she sits on the floor with her legs splayed, the bottle laying against her thigh. She talks animatedly about her sister and her girlfriend, stumbling over her words. The others seem charmed at first, but with no other contestants dropping out, they chafe at her brash, slurring tone and constant touching.

[Iris: “I’m like, girl, you’re acting a fool. Please sit down before you hurt yourself or knock someone over. No one will be happy if you end up disqualifying them from this competition.”]

[James: “I’m a little worried about Alex, but I’m also invested in winning this game. I can talk to her about her getting too drunk after I kick this competition’s ass.”]

In time, Ray and Amaya are disqualified, and the three of them exit the cube next. The next set of unlucky losers is comprised of Linda, Mick, and James. Five players hold out to the seven hour mark: Hartley, M’gann, Jax, Oliver, and Laurel are still standing, this time with only one hand on the button, resisting the urge to flinch every time a sound blares out of nowhere.

[Amaya: “I’m surprised Oliver and Hartley lasted so long. I felt certain they’d both drop out earlier on. Both of them give off the spoiled-rich-boy vibe. I guess I figured Hartley might do better, since I think he was disowned and had to make it on his own, but Oliver’s a surprise for sure. He might be more of a threat than I’d previously anticipated.”]

However, Hartley’s figure trembles. The heat hasn’t broken, despite it being almost dawn of the next day. He blinks sweat out of his eyes, not bothering to clean the fog off his glasses. His finger slips off the button as he falls to his knees.

Without even thinking, M’gann runs over, forfeiting her chance to win the Head of Household title in favor of cradling him, checking his pulse and his temperature.

“Kendra, permission to leave the box?” M’gann says, gathering Hartley in her arms. “I think he has heat exhaustion.”

“Permission granted. Do we need to take him to the DR?” Kendra asks, rushing over to open the door and hold it while Hartley and M’gann exit.

“Probably safest,” M’gann says, “but we should get him some water on the way.”

Cisco, without prompting, sprints into the House. Ray offers to take Hartley, but M’gann waves him off. Ray instead goes ahead to hold open doors. The rest of the House stays around or in the box, looking uneasy.

[Kendra: “I might have broken the rules not enforcing the ‘three to leave’ thing, but if production cared more about that than about the health of their contestants, they would’ve been shut down a long time ago.”]

[Linda: “M’gann is an angel. She didn’t even stop to think about the consequences for her game if she threw the comp. She just jumped to help someone. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone like her. She’s incredible.”]

Inside the cube, Oliver, Laurel, and Jax settle in for the long haul. Laurel and Jax watch the others outside the box sitting around with their faces pinched in concern. Oliver, once again, is motionless.

“I really hope Hartley’s okay,” Laurel mutters. “I can’t believe they let us do something that might give us heat stroke.”

“I don’t think it’s heat stroke, but it’s messed up that they didn’t consider the possibility when they built this thing,” Jax comments, knocking on the glass lightly with his free hand. “We need to make a deal that Hartley’s not gonna be a Have-Not this week, no matter who wins.”

Laurel nods. “We’ll talk to Oliver if he outlasts us with his deep trance.”

The tenth and final hour passes. Laurel and Jax draw Oliver out of his head to talk alliance.

“This is pointless, trying to wait each other out,” Laurel says quietly. The glass gives them a limited amount of privacy. “We’re gonna end up passing out like Hartley.”

“I won’t.”

Jax raises his eyebrow. “Oliver, man, no offence, but passing out from heat exhaustion ain’t something you can will your way out of. After ten hours with no water or rest, it’s practically a done deal. It’s a tiny bit cooler in here now, but it’ll heat up again real quick. We need to be practical.”

[Oliver: “These two are coming to me wanting to throw in the towel or have me throw in the towel. I don’t need your concern and I don’t need you throwing the competition for me to win.”]

“Ollie, he’s right. We need to get out of here soon. If she or I win, our group is automatically safe, but you’re in danger, and I understand you being wary after being on the block. Jax and I have agreed that—“ She stops talking aloud and mouths the rest. ‘If you win, her and I and Martin and Alex are all safe.’

“Not team Law?” He asks quietly.

Laurel shakes her head. “You know as well as we do that alliances formed by the rules of the game aren’t strong enough. We have to be able to trust people in alliances. Jax and I trust you.”

Oliver contemplates it.

[Oliver: “On the other hand, saving their asses this week means they owe me. Laurel’s already in my pocket, but having three more guaranteed votes? It’s a tempting offer.”]

Oliver looks out of the box to check if anyone’s paying attention and then nods very slightly.

Laurel sighs in relief and takes her finger off the button. Jax hesitates a moment, but follows suit.

[Jax: “I won’t lie to anyone. I don’t really trust Oliver. But I trust Laurel, and Laurel trusts Oliver. We’ll just have to wait and see if that was the right move."]

Kendra, smiling, says, “Oliver, congratulations, you are our new Head of Household!”

Despite being sweaty and exhausted, Laurel hugs Oliver, lifting onto her toes to properly squeeze. The Houseguests cheer and clap as enthusiastically as they can while being sleep-deprived.

[Kendra: “I’m not happy, but I have to do damage control. I’m getting put up almost definitely, but that doesn’t mean I have to burn all bridges with him.”]

Oliver, Laurel, and Jax exit the cube, relishing in the burst of fresh air that hits their faces for the full time in almost a half a day. Oliver bows his head so Kendra can hang the Head of Household key around his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope u enjoyed it! sorry for the delay for the next full length chapter
> 
> for fic updates and other bb and dctv related content, follow me on twitter @mamawerewolf


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